Is Quinoa worth it? And how do I make it tasty?!

I really enjoy Quinoa, especially if I toss it in with some stir fried veggies and some soy sauce.

One of the things I love to do is make what I call "Quinoa Risotto". I saute some garlic and onions in a pan with 1tbsp of olive oil. Then I add the quinoa and toast that for a minute. Then I add chicken broth (2 parts broth to 1 part quinoa) and tomato sauce. I add whatever spices and veggies I want and let it simmer. In the last 3 minutes of cooking (when most of the liquid is gone and the quinoa is cooked), I add some cheese. It's fantastic and makes for a tasty lunch or next night dinner.... and the leftovers only get tastier!

Definitely worth it. Quinoa is so yummy and versatile. I make a quiona salad at the beginning of the week and it's a quick lunch or side dish- easy to pack for work. I cook the quinoa and mix with some chopped jicama, celery, olives, olive oil, salt, pepper, and cilantro-- or whatever you have in the pantry. I even add some canned beans (rinsed and drained) with some fresh tomato for a complete meal. Yum!

Just substitute it in for whenever you would use rice.

Another to try is buckwheat pasta instead of wholemeal or whatever.

I could eat quinoa for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

For breakfast, I sometimes eat it like oatmeal - warm, with a handful of berries, some milk and perhaps a drizzle of maple syrup
For lunch, I often make a quinoa salad for the week. It's fairly random what goes in. This week's was black beans, tomatoes, bell peppers, green onions with a lime, chili, dressing (small amount of olive oil).
For dinner, I often eat it plain as a side dish instead of rice or couscous.

Normally, to cook it, I follow the directions on the package. I find that each brand is a bit different in the way that they suggest it be prepared.

Last week, however, I came across a different method of cooking it and I am forever converted. It is requires a TINY bit more effort, but it was sooooooooooooooooooooo worth it. It came out really light and fluffy.

I put about 3 cups water in a pot, brought it to a boil and added 1 cup quinoa. Boiled it for 10 minutes. Strained the quinoa in a sieve. Put about 1" water back in the original pot and put the strainer across the top of the pot. I covered the quinoa in the strainer with a clean tea towel (folded up) and then covered it with a lid (apparently doesn't have to fit well). I then steamed the quinoa for another 10 minutes. Let it stand, covered for 5 min. It seems like a big production, but it doesn't take a minute longer - all you're doing is straining midway though. Soooooooooooooooooooooooooo good. Will do this from now one.

Bump


I may actually buy some quinoa next time and give one of these ideas a try.

I made some cheesy quinoa bites once and I didn't really like them. Too much carrot flavor and not enough cheese. However, I did eat some of the quinoa by itself, plain, before I tossed all the other ingredients in and it was really good.

Like others, I'd suggest using it anywhere you'd use rice.

I like to make a cold salad with quinoa. I rinse the quinoa and then cook it in the rice cooker. While it is cooking I chop veggies --red pepper, corn kernels, minced onion, etc. I rinse and drain a can of black beans. When the quinoa is done I mix it with the veggies and then add a cilantro/lime vinagrette (lime juice, honey, olive oil, salt, pepper and chopped cilantro). You can eat it warm, but it is good after it has been stored in the fridge as well.

What are the health benefits of Quinoa?

Health Benefits from Care2 website (http://www.care2.com/greenliving/8-health-benefits-of-quinoa.html)

8 Health Benefits of Quinoa:

1. High quality protein with the nine essential amino acids, the protein balance is similar to milk. At 16.2 to 20 percent protein, it has is more protein than rice (7.5 percent), millet (9.9 percent) or wheat (14 percent).


2. Great source of riboflavin. Riboflavin has been shown to help reduce the frequency of attacks in migraine sufferers by improving the energy metabolism within the brain and muscle cells.


3. Inca warriors had more stamina and quicker recovery time by eating these quinoa seeds, making it a truly ancient powerfood.

4. Antiseptic. The saponins from quinoa are used to promote healing of skin injuries in South America.

5. Not fattening! Only 172 calories per 1/4 cup dry (24 of the calories from protein and only 12 from sugars, the rest are complex carbohydrates, fiber and healthy fats).

6. Gluten-free. Since it is not not related to wheat, or even a grain, it is gluten-free.

7. Alkaline-forming. Although it is not strongly alkaline-forming, it is comparable to wild rice, amaranth, and sprouted grains.


8. Smart Carb: It is a complex carbohydrate with a low glycemic index, so it won’t spike your blood sugar.


Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/8-health-benefits-of-quinoa.html#ixzz1yWkcsVDO

I love quinoa. I cook it just like rice, but for a little longer. You can change the flavor depending on what you add to it. For something savory, try using boullion instead of water to cook it. It will take on the flavor of the boullion. For something sweet, cook it in water and then add some sweetner and raisins or nuts. Things like that. I treat it just like I would treat rice. Go an experiment and enjoy....

My wife and I made this last week, added about a pound raw-weight of grilled chicken then divided it up. It was a good dinner (and a couple lunches :happy:)

http://www.managercomplete.com/engine2/recipe.aspx?category=Dinner&id=44

(The website says the serving size is for one person, I don't think that's right. We divided it 4 ways with the chicken. If you can't get dried red beans, make sure you rinse the beans thoroughly or use something like Bush's reduced sodium variety. For how I built the recipe in the MFP recipe tool, it totaled 394 calories per serving, only 534 mg of sodium. Not bad...)

Definitely worth it; we love it!

One of our favorite ways to eat it: Quinoa Pilaf With Shredded Chicken -- easy and YUM! (Find it on allrecipes.com -- we usually have it without the chicken, but it's great either way.)